AboutOrchids

Scientists have published a study in Nature that explains why plant diversity discourages insect pests. Damaging insects love monocultures, large areas planted with a single crop, because they conveniently concentrate nutrients in one place. Diverse plantings have less of what they like, so bugs need to work harder in search of food. As a result, they’re less likely to visit and hang around.

While this research is about farming and not about houseplants, orchid growers may find this complements other natural, non-toxic remedies, like carnivorous plants and beneficial insects. Grow a broad variety of plants instead of a single kind. For example, add some plant diversity to a lawn to battle pests, rather than pouring on toxic insecticides. To learn more, find the full study at Nature.com (requires a subscription.)

San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers is so packed with remarkable plants that there’s always more to explore. I’ve already done a few posts about our recent visit, but I still have photos to share. There are plenty more orchids, from brilliant Moth Orchids to bizarre Bulbophyllums.

Although they aren’t orchids, the strange Bat Flower in the next three photos is a great tropical bloom. We’ve seen them at botanical gardens, but often the flowers are past their prime. It’s also challenging to take decent photos of a big, weird, complex blossom. But this time we got good pictures of a fresh flower. I think it looks more like cat whiskers than a bat. What do you see in this fascinating bloom?

With events in every corner of the earth, it’s easy to celebrate orchids. From Santa Barbara to Lisbon, this month features plenty of shows to choose from.

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Everyone interested in orchid species should know about the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia. I’ve mentioned this website in passing before, but it truly deserves its own post. Remarkably, this site lists 22,000 out of 28,000 orchid species! That’s almost 80% of all known orchids, with more continually added. There’s no other resource I know of that comes close. It’s been a labor of love for Jay Pfahl, a hobbyist who created the site 20 years ago. He and other volunteers constantly add new listings, make name changes, and continually revise and update. For orchid species growers like myself, it’s often the only place with light, temperature, and native habitat info for obscure varieties.

Novices may find it challenging to navigate the immense site. I go to the alphabetical species page, and then use the “Find” feature (Ctrl+F) on my Windows computer to search the orchid name. The homepage includes essential info, like the symbol keys for light, temperature, fragrance, and blooming season. There’s a thorough botanical glossary for scientific terms. Even if you skip the scientific parts, this website has so much fascinating and helpful info. You’ll never look at orchids the same way again after exploring the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia.

In all the years I’ve been doing this blog, this tiny Stelis orchid has not bloomed — until now! It had flowered in past years, but not since 2006. I don’t know what’s made it so happy, but it now boasts eight flower spikes, despite some hot and dry weather. Dave and I were finally able to take good photos.

Stelis is a large genus of pleurothallids. These Masdevallia relatives range from Florida to Argentina, centered in the cloud forests of the Andes. There are hundreds of different species, many tough to tell apart. On this plant, the tiny triangular blooms are about ¼ inch (6 mm) tall. Despite their eye-straining size, all the requisite orchid flower parts are there. It’s easier to appreciate them with the help of a camera zoom, especially the small white hairs which fringe each flower.

This plants lives outdoors in the fog all year. It receives daily watering, and a small amount of direct sun. Some Stelis varieties only open their flowers in full sun, but mine has kept them open for a couple weeks regardless of the weather. Even with these photos, it will be tough to figure out which Stelis species I have. But I can still enjoy the cute blossoms on this stubborn little orchid.

Madagascar is the home of so many fascinating plants and animals, and scientists have discovered even more orchids. Ten new Cynorkis species have been found in a remote area of northern Madagascar, including one with a champagne fragrance. Check out the story and great photos at The English Garden.

Want to go to a fantastic party and help orchids at the same time? Enjoy the Dracula Ball: Gala under Glass on October 19th at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. This fundraiser celebrates Draculas — not the Transylvanian kind, but the Latin American orchids with the same name. Tickets start at $75 for the event, which highlights “the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile beauty of rainforests.” It’s for a great cause, supporting the Conservatory’s Highland Tropics Gallery with its important collection of rare, cool-growing orchid species. The three Draculas in the pictures below are prime examples of the Conservatory’s crucial work, and include the famous Dracula vampira in the first photo. Celebrate the blooms on October 19th, and help rare orchids at the Dracula Ball.

With warm days lately, we’re enjoying lots of flowers. Orchids and other greenery keep our front and back yards full of color and buzzing with local wildlife. Cymbidiums, Epidendrums, and Masdevallias are such reliable bloomers here that they rarely take a break. Poppies, nasturtiums, and bromeliads add to the show. Even though we don’t have a lot of garden space, the wide variety of plants brings in a range of visitors. All manner of birds and bugs arrive daily, including hummingbirds, honeybees, and butterflies.

From Honolulu to Helsinki, from Louisville to Lima, orchid lovers gather to discuss, photograph, judge, and buy orchids. Don’t miss these great events around the globe.

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Some readers may wonder why I’m posting a reminder about heatwaves at the start of autumn, but SF Bay Area locals understand. For us, the warmest months of the year are September and October. True to form, our cool, foggy weather gave way to warmer temps on schedule this year, and we’ve had a few heatwaves. Our humidity drops as the heat rises, leaving us with desert-like dryness. That dry air presents as much danger to orchids as the high heat itself, so both problems need to be addressed. Follow these tips to help your orchids survive a heatwave:

• Move plants into shady areas until the fog returns.
• Water all orchids on warm days, even if it’s not their regular watering day. For my cool growers and intermediate growers outside, I water them all daily if temps rise above 80°F (27°C,) sometimes multiple times on hotter days.
• To raise humidity levels, spray down leaves, walls, patios, decks, flowerpots, and other surfaces. As it evaporates, the water adds moisture to the air. Remember, high humidity for leaves, flowers, and exposed roots is what’s important. Avoid oversoaking the potting material.
• Other methods to raise humidity include grouping plants together, or placing plants in humid areas near a water feature. Using a spray mister helps. Placing flowerpots atop pebbles in trays of water is effective, as long as the bottoms of the pots are always kept above the water level.
• Don’t remove sunburned leaves until cooler weather returns. Those burnt leaves are protecting lower leaves. Check the photos below for examples of sunburned orchids leaves. Burns usually start out as white patches, but then turn brown or black over time. Now get to watering!